EUROPEAN Affairs Minister Lucinda Creighton topped the poll in an election to be a vice-president of the biggest political grouping in Europe.

Ms Creighton, a TD for Dublin-South East, was one of 10 vice presidents elected for the European People's Party (EPP), the centre-right political grouping to which Fine Gael is aligned.

The EPP is the largest grouping in the European Parliament, and German chancellor Angela Merkel's CDU are also members.

Ms Creighton came out top with 459 votes, 10 ahead of her nearest rival. Taoiseach Enda Kenny was a vice-president for the past six years, but stepped down because of time constraints. Former Taoiseach John Bruton has also held the position.

"It's a very important position in terms of co-ordinating the EPP and our positions for all future elections, but also our position on stabilising the eurozone," Ms Creighton said.